Figuring it out at 50…

Years ago my mother said that gray hair was a sign of wisdom. For me, who was not yet 40, gray hair meant the kids were fighting, bills were unpaid, the dog just diddled on the floor, my car wouldn’t start and my favorite bakery was closed. Oh and matching socks did not exist in my life.

You get the picture.

Now that I am coming up on my 53rd year I realize that being 50 is not a curse, but a blessing. My days, like all of us, are numbered but seriously, I am not counting. For that reason I want to dispel a few fibs about being 50 and specifically being happy and healthy at 50.

#1 Couches are your friends.FALSE
They look so inviting – so plush, so comfy and they just swallow you up in your prone position. Before you know it three days have passed.

SOLUTION: Hide it. Pile books, food, animals and clothes on it. Seriously, you won’t be tempted to be anywhere near it.

#2 Remotes are necessary. FALSE
No, breathing is necessary. Remotes have no purpose except to encourage us to be lazy on that couch we thought was our friend!!
SOLUTION: Ditch it. At least for 1 day. It’s amazing how communication channels will open up in your life.

#3 I am old. FALSE
In dog years, yes but you’re not a dog. So old compared to what? You’re a human and we do age. Embrace it. You won’t have the opportunity to experience today ever again. Does it mean you have to act old? No. You have a voice, use it. In a positive way. You have a mind. Train it.
SOLUTION: Read. Not the commercials on TV or your computer. Real books with real pages.

#4 I used to be…..FALSE
You used to be what? A 34 waist? Played football with the boys on Sunday? Or a Size 8 and loved yourself and those jeans? You ran? Biked? Hiked? Or the classic,” I used to be 30 pounds lighter.”
SOLUTION: Get outside. The air is sweet; the sun is bright. Just move. Walk. Get a bike and move faster if you want. Eat good food, real food. Food that’s actually grown.

We may not be what we once were, but we can be as good as we ever were. Turning 50 and being 50 is just a number. With that number comes experience and wisdom. It doesn’t end with ‘I used to be.’ You are what you WANT TO BE.

Mike is a Hyland’s Masters Athlete, seasoned ultra-runner and coach. In 2010 Mike developed Project America Run (PAR), a cross-country run to pay tribute to America’s fallen soldiers. In 2012, he finished Project America Run, Part II on Veteran’s Day, after running 81 consecutive marathons to honor those lost in Afghanistan. Ehredt’s next challenge will be the Wasatch 100, a 100-mile endurance race over some of Utah’s most grueling mountainous terrain.
More about Mike here